Facebook: How the Hottest Company in America Became a Cautionary Tale

"Facebook -- This Time Is Different" might have made for a more attractive title for this piece, but as investors who bought shares of Facebook (NAS: FB) on day one found out, sadly enough, that wasn't the case. Over the past several weeks, countless individual investors have learned the hard way that even the hottest of stocks can't defy reality. At the end of the day, overvalued is, well... overvalued. And despite all the losses, the debacle that's become the Facebook IPO isn't all bad, just mostly bad. In sifting through the wreckage, the individual investor can salvage an immensely helpful lesson that goes forgotten all too often from this Hindenburg of a public offering.

Internet 2.0, we've been here beforeThe last 24 months witnessed the rise of a new slew of Web-based companies that, although probably not on the same scale as the Tech Bubble of the early 2000s, share some uncanny parallels with a period that drove the Nasdaq to nosebleed heights just over a decade ago. Companies such as Yelp (NAS: YELP) , Zynga (NAS: ZNGA) , and Groupon (NAS: GRPN) drew investor acclaim as they made their founders and early investors newly minted millionaires and billionaires. It seemed this new generation of Web-based companies offered huge potential by unlocking the power of crowds. And with the dollar signs often attached to these companies approaching astronomical levels, individual investors' interest was sure to follow, and it did.

As these game-changing companies grew their user bases, they needed additional sources of funding. That's where today's lesson really begins. With investor attention approaching undivided, these new-order companies had no problem raising additional funds by going public. And this worked pretty well for everyone involved for a while. So-called Web 2.0 stocks routinely "popped" sharply upward in price on their first days of trading. Companies like the ones mentioned above were all rewarded with valuations in excess of $1 billion each despite the fact that they were all still unprofitable at the time.

And then there was FacebookFast-forward to the earlier this month, and here came Facebook, the poster child for this recent Web bonanza. It seemed as if Facebook could do no wrong. It had changed the world. It has an incredible story behind it. This eight-year-old company had successfully leveraged the Web's potential to provide anyone with an Internet jack the ability to connect with people the world over. What started as a side project in a Harvard bedroom had sprouted into a company so powerful that it helped topple dictatorships. How could it not succeed as an investment, especially since it had been such a good deal for those already involved? Investors were clamoring to get their hands on what was undoubtedly the latest and greatest company. The excitement was palpable.

Fast-forward even further to today, and what seemed like the ultimate golden opportunity has lost much of its shine. Facebook has fallen nearly 30% since its debut, and has become the least successful IPO of the decade among large-cap companies. Those unfortunate to have bought into it are staring at a sea of red. To add insult to injury, a steady stream of news has emerged that's further muddied this debacle of an IPO, and further reinforced the unfortunate perception that the game's rigged against the little guy. Facebook, the golden child that held unknown promise, has now become a cautionary tale.

What's old is new againMore than anything, the entire Facebook saga highlights the emotional biases we deal with as investors. The problem is that for most of us, it's natural to want to take part in the next big thing. It's also that kind of bias that leads people to make dangerous, and all-too-often damaging, investing decisions. This is also part of why most investors, either pros or joes, rarely beat the market over time.

As much as we want to believe it, this time rarely is ever different. And this is exactly why, rather than chasing the hottest trend out there, investors will usually fare better by sticking to the principles of sound investing. It's not fun to say, but it's true. From tulips in the 1600s all the way up to today, investors will keep getting burned chasing the trend du jour. And when you're talking about your nest egg, that's a lesson you never want to learn firsthand. Stick to the Foolish basics of finding great companies you love and holding them for the long term and you'll avoid falling victim to the next cautionary tale.